Watches comprising an exterior made of soft material, such as wood, are known to those skilled in the art for their particularly decorative appearance. In existing embodiments, the case is either entirely formed of wood, or formed of a metal body covered with a wooden cover. Reference can be made, for further information about these embodiments, to Patent Application Nos. DE 233 309 and CH 667 177.
One drawback of the exterior made of soft material is its lack of resistance to wear. Since angular parts, such as corners, are particularly exposed to wear, existing embodiments do not include any, but have rounded shapes. Such watches are consequently limited to circular and oval geometries.
Watches whose exterior is formed of a fragile material are also known. Unlike soft materials, fragile materials are generally quite resistant to wear, but are liable to break at the angular parts. For this reason, circular and oval geometries are also preferred for watches comprising an exterior made of fragile material.